Broken Stars
by Chocoau
Summary: Cricketkit is born a normal kit. As he grows older, though, he starts to notice peculiar things happening that have no logical explanation. When an unexpected death causes the whole Clan to start asking questions, Cricketkit is forced to ask some questions of his own - ones that me may not want to know the answers to. (Rated T for some violence)


**CH. 1 THUNDERCLAN ALLEGIANCES**

**Leader **Rainstar-Small blue-gray tom with a graying muzzle due to age and bright amber eyes

**Deputy **Dawnflower-Thick-furred brown, white, and cream she-cat with black on part of her tail and amber eyes

(Apprentice: Ashpaw)

**Medicine Cat **Sandpetal-Yellow she-cat with pale ginger flecked across her pelt and green eyes

**Warriors **Stormheart-Light gray tabby tom with dark paws and tail and amber eyes

Frostleaf-Silvery-white she-cat with a grayish underbelly and captivating dark blue eyes

Boulderfoot-Gray tom with unusually sharp claws and honey-brown eyes

(apprentice: Mousepaw)

Addertooth-Large red-brown tom with black-and-brown markings and yellow eyes

Dusttail-Light brown tabby tom with light green eyes

Fireblaze-Orange tabby she-cat with white chest, paws, and muzzle, and blue eyes

Volepelt-Creamy tom with small black speckles and blue eyes

Heatherstripe-Light brown-orange tabby she-cat with green-blue eyes

Patchfeather-Dark blue-gray she-cat with unusual black-and-white splotches, black paws, and yellow-brown eyes

(Apprentice: Sootpaw)

Sparrowleaf-Thin light brown she-cat with green eyes

Cloudheart-White tom with tabby stripes and amber eyes

Redfang-Red tom with white spots and light blue eyes

**Apprentices **Ashpaw-Gray tabby tom with dull gray eyes

Sootpaw-Light gray tom with amber eyes

Mousepaw-Brown and black tom with dark green eyes

**Queens **Cherrystone-Reddish she-cat with one large gray spot on her back and pretty blue eyes

Brownsplash- Pale she-cat with darker brown splotches and amber eyes

**Elders **Echomorning-Elderly fluffy silver she-cat with darker front paws and blue eyes

Tawnyberry-Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Lightningfur-She-cat with shocking yellow fur, dark black streaks, and brilliant blue eyes

* * *

A light gray tomkit with darker tabby stripes poked his head out of the nursery. "Come on, Oakkit! Let's go!" he called over his shoulder. "You are _such_ a _slug_! Hurry up already! The reason why you – oh!" the young kitten yelped as he was shoved forward. A small, creamy pale fluffball flew over his head and out of the stuffy den.

"Race you to the apprentices' den!" The tan tomkit straightened up, smirked at his brother, and ran off. The gray tabby sat up, hissing, and darted after in hot pursuit, squeaking angrily the whole way.

Once at the apprentices' den, the two brothers sat outside the entrance, breathing heavily after their long sprint. "That wasn't fair at all," the gray one panted, glaring. "You aren't supposed to cheat."

Oakkit laughed and shrugged. "Eh, learn to loosen up a little. You're too uptight." He smirked and added, "you're too rigid even to get mad at me properly."

Oakkit's brother growled. "Oh, yeah? Well how about _this_!" He lunged at his brother, paws flailing. The creamy kit, taken completely and utterly by surprise, fell over, shrieking and squealing. They turned into a small mass of furry paws and tiny, harmless teeth, wildly trying to get a hit in on the other. The creamy one, being slightly larger, pushed his attacker off. The gray kit fell flat on his back and gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. His tiny little legs wiggled around in the air as he tried to get a lungful of air.

Oakkit leaned forward, grabbed his sibling's scruff, and hauled him to his feet. "Come on, Cricketkit, you really thought you could beat me? You're way too wimpy to ever do that."

Cricketkit growled. Suddenly, before he knew what was happening, instincts took over. Without even knowing what he was doing, he crouched down and twisted sideways, kicking his hind legs out. He made contact with Oakkit, sweeping his brother's feet from under him. The creamy kitten flopped over, wailing in obvious dismay, and Cricketkit took the chance to pounce.

"That looks like a real battle move," a voice said from behind. Startled, Cricketkit hopped away and turned to look at the owner of the voice that spoke to him. Towering above the tiny kit was a large reddish-brown tom, looking down at him with warm, friendly yellow eyes. Cricketkit looked for a trace of suspicion or sarcasm in the warrior's greeting, but found nothing. This large warrior was being genuinely pleased with his quick reaction and well thought out move. Continuing, the tom chuckled, "Last time I saw that, I was fighting a RiverClan cat. Though that was very long ago."

"R-Really?" Cricketkit stammered. "Because I just made it up. I wasn't trying to use a real battle tactic or anything! I honestly don't know where it came from." Even though Cricketkit had no reason to be upset, he still felt dread filling his belly at the thought that this warrior may think he was learning battle moves before becoming an apprentice.

The tom simply smiled. "Well, you have the instincts of a true warrior. What's your name?"

"Cricketkit, and this is my brother, Oakkit." Cricketkit motioned with his tail to his brother, who was glaring at him with eyes full of jealousy.

"Cricketkit and Oakkit, eh?" His tail-tip twitched. "Interesting names. Well, I'm Addertooth. It's nice to meet you, both of you." He sighed. "I would love to stay and chat, but I have to go on a border patrol…Again." The red-brown tom turned and padded away. "Don't worry, Fireblaze! I'm still coming on the patrol!"

Oakkit stared at his brother, and though he said nothing, his eyes gave away all his emotions. Cricketkit stared back, irritated at his brother's envy. Finally, Oakkit grumbled, "Show-off. I was just going easy on you, y'know. You only won because I let you." Cricketkit held back a scoff. He knew better than that.

Ignoring his brother's snide remark, the tabby glanced at the entrance of the camp when he heard rustling. Five cats stalked into the camp, their fur bristling. "Rainstar!" One of them, a blue-gray she-cat with unusual white-and-black splotches, yowled loudly. "Rainstar, they're at it again!" More cats began to swarm around them, and Cricketkit's ears rang as the Clan cats shrieked and growled angrily.

"What? How dare they!"

"Oh, great StarClan! What did ShadowClan do _this_ time?"

"I can't believe they're acting as if they own all the land around the lake!"

"Why won't Rainstar let us teach them a lesson, once and for all?"

The two brothers automatically glanced up at where they thought the leader's den was. Sure enough, Rainstar emerged from the den. The small blue-gray tom narrowed his brilliant, bright amber eyes at the swarm of cats below. "Cats of ThunderClan," he yowled loudly, trying to talk above the ever-growing shouts. "I understand you are upset, but I shall not take action against them!" More angry growls echoed from below him, but he continued, undaunted by the furious responses he was getting. "We shall leave ShadowClan alone, and that's final. I shouldn't have to repeat myself like this."

Warriors surged around the kits, screaming out their concerns to their stubborn leader. "Cricketkit, Oakkit, let's go inside," a soothing voice called out above the noise. Cricketkit turned around to see his mother, her honey-amber eyes bright with worry.

"Cricketkit, Oakkit, let's go inside," a soothing voice called. Cricketkit turned around to see his mother, her honey-amber eyes bright with worry.

"Race you there!" Oakkit squeaked, dashing away. He was oblivious to the excitement surging through ThunderClan at that moment. Cricketkit tore after him, his belly fur brushing the ground. Suddenly, and without any warning at all, his brother came to a screeching halt, and Cricketkit ran straight into the pale tomkit's hindquarters. "Hey, Oakkit!" Cricketkit howled in mock anger. "What was that for?"

"To slow you down so that I could get there first," Oakkit mewed back mischievously, darting between Brownsplash's legs and into the safety of the nursery. "Ha, ha! I win! _Again_!" Cricketkit padded into the den more slowly, muttering under his breath.

Cricketkit sat near the entrance of the den, staring outside at the heated discussions taking place between Rainstar and his Clan. He then glanced up at his mother, who was staring out of the den and swishing her tail back and forth. She seemed to be distracted, lost in dark thoughts of her own. Cricketkit pricked his ears at the sound of paws coming closer.

"Brownsplash," a voice called drily. "How are the kits?"

"They're doing fine, Volepelt," Brownsplash replied with a sigh. "Come on in, I want to talk to you." Hoping to listen in on the conversation without being shooed away, Cricketkit turned and ran for the corner of the nursery. He turned back, staring at his parents with round amber eyes.

His father's stern, taut voice gave away his concern. "I can't believe Rainstar would do this to us! Is he more loyal to his father's Clan than his own?" Volepelt spat, lashing his tail.

"Hush," Brownsplash scolded gently. "Do you want the whole Clan to hear you?" She hesitated, then added, "and we don't want to frighten the kits, either."

Volepelt lashed his tail again, eyes burning. "The kits, the kits! They're all you ever talk about. It seems your more concerned about them than what's going on in the Clan."

"No, Volepelt, you're wrong, and you know it," Brownsplash retorted, eyes narrowing. "And besides…Just because our leader is half-Clan doesn't mean that he is not loyal to us." Cricketkit felt as though his paws were frozen to the ground. _What? Half-clan? Rainstar is_ half-clan_? I can't believe it! No wonder he doesn't want to pick a fight with ShadowClan!_ He was so shocked that he missed what his parents were saying. When he finally snapped back to reality, he could see clear agitation in both of them.

"Rainstar is obviously showing ShadowClan mercy. Doesn't that mean he feels some kind of loyalty to them?" Volepelt argued, looking flustered at his mate's stubbornness. "Besides, Tigerheart and Dovewing are both dead. Even if he did owe them some kind of loyalty to keep the two Clans at peace, he has paid his dues. He is a weak leader. I think it's about time that Dawnflower took over. At least she knows when to stand up for what is right – and she's much shyer than Rainstar."

"Well, of course he would be hesitant about stirring up a battle with his father's Clan…But that doesn't mean he is no longer loyal to ThunderClan. Of course he feels some kind of debt towards the Clan that took him in while he was younger and cared for him, but he's still all ThunderClan, simple as that. Now, please, dear, stop worrying about this. It's just silly. You don't want to get worked up over nothing," Brownsplash replied confidently, though Cricketkit could see the doubt in his mother's eyes. It was obvious she was reassuring herself just as much as she was her mate.

"How could you be so gullible?" Volepelt hissed. "You used to be a smart, dependable cat that I could trust with my life…Where did she go, Brownsplash? Where did she go?"

"What?" the pale brown queen gasped. "I am merely defending my leader! That does not make me a mouse-brain or a traitor, Volepelt, and you know it!" Volepelt looked away, muttering under his breath, and then walked out of the den. Brownsplash snarled after him, "Rainstar is an intelligent and trustworthy leader, through and through! It does not matter that he is getting old, or that his parents belonged to different Clans. Anybody who doubts that is not loyal to the Warrior Code or their clanmates!" She turned and stalked away, sitting down heavily on her nest. "Oakkit! Cricketkit!" the white-and-brown queen snapped, her patience gone completely. "Get over here!"

Cricketkit's pelt prickled with frustration as he padded towards his mother. "Yes, Brownsplash?" _Wow. That was intense. I hope they won't do that anymore. They're my parents, they_ have _to get along!_

Brownsplash's mew was cold as she snarled, "don't you two worry about anything right now. Your father is simply overreacting. I'm sure he will be back to normal over the next few days. And don't worry about ShadowClan, either. They may not respect the borders, but as long as you stay here in the camp with me, you will be perfectly safe." She paused, and with a softer voice, continued, "everybody is making a bigger deal out of this than it really is, I can promise you. You two promise to freak out about this, right?" The two kits nodded solemnly.

"Alright. Good. Because everything will end up just fine, so worrying will do nothing but make the situation worse." She blinked slowly, as though she were very deep in thought. "And certainly don't mention this to anyone. It's best just to leave the subject alone, period. Okay?" The two kits nodded again, and their mother sighed. "Well, I suppose that's it for now."

Her eyes shadowed over suddenly. "Actually…no. I suggest you leave your father alone for the next few days, alright? You know how moody he can be sometimes. It might be best not to anger him for know. Remember, though, he is still an amazing warrior who should be respected."

Cricketkit mewled softly, "of course. We love our father."

In agreement, Oakkit stated, "we don't know what we would do without him."

"Good. Because even if he doesn't believe that what Rainstar is doing is right, he is extremely loyal and will fight tooth and claw for us. He would even die for our Clan." She stood up and stretched. "Alright. You two can carry on now. Do whatever it is you do all day." She gave them the stink eye. "Just don't bother anybody. I don't want to hear about another one of your adventures in Sandpetal's den."


End file.
